1874.] Poison of Indian Venomous Snakes. 73 



twitch backwards. Shortly afterwards it again became quiet and sat 

 quite still. 



3.12. The animal did not seem to be much affected by the poison. 

 Some more injected into left thigh. 



4. Both hind legs became paralyzed, and the animal lay with them 

 spread out behind it. The hind part of the body also sank down, so that 

 the abdomen became flattened on the floor, just as with the Daboia-poison. 



4.23. Convulsive twitches occur. The animal lies on its side. It is 

 more convulsed than the one killed with Daboia-poisou. 



Action of Cobra-poison on Frogs. 



When cobra-poison is injected under the skin of frogs they occasionally 

 become very restless immediately after the injection. This, however, is by 

 no means always the case ; and as similar agitation occurs, often to a much 

 greater extent, after the injection of other substances, it is to be attributed 

 rather to the insertion of the needle than to the action of the venom. A 

 gradually increasing torpor then comes over the animal, sometimes begin- 

 ning some time after the injection, and then proceeding uninterruptedly, at 

 other times being interrupted by occasional movements. The limbs are 

 drawn close up to the body, and the head gradually sinks down between 

 the hands in most instances ; but sometimes, as in Experiment VIII., the 

 head is held at first much more erect than usual. The power of motion 

 is lost before that of sensation; for the movements caused by painful 

 stimuli become weaker and weaker, although they may still follow each 

 application of the irritant. The progressive weakness is well shown in 

 the movements of the hind legs. After the frog has sunk down and is 

 lying flat upon the table, pinching the toes causes it to kick vigorously ; 

 but by-and-by, instead of kicking, it merely draws away the foot from 

 the irritant with a slow wriggling motion. If it is then lifted up from 

 the table, so as to remove the resistance occasioned by friction, the wrig- 

 gling entirely disappears, and the foot is promptly and easily drawn up 

 to the body when pinched. This weakness seems to depend on the 

 nervous system rather than on the muscles ; for, even in this state of ap- 

 parent paralysis, the animal occasionally displays considerable muscular 

 power, and is able to spring to a considerable height, as in the following 

 experiment. A similar condition is sometimes observed in warm-blooded 

 animals, as in Experiment LX. The motor paralysis increases, no motion 

 follows the application of any irritant, however powerful ; but even then 

 sensation exists, as is seen from Experiment LXXVI. The heart continues 

 to beat after all motion in the body has ceased ; but its pulsations become 

 gradually slower, and at last cease altogether. 



Experiment VIII. 



September VZili, 1873. Three frogs of nearly equal size were selected, 

 and a dose of dried cobra-poison dissolved in water was injected into the 



